기독교적 성장소설로서의 『제인에어』 = Jane Eyre as a Christian Bildungsroman

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Hyeyoung LeeSince its publication Jane Eyre has been read as a psychological bildungsroman. And recently it is a trend to read it as a feminist bildungsroman. The purpose of this article is to analyze Jane Eyre as a Christian bildungsroman. To understand Jane Eyre fully, contextual approach is necessary. And if we consider the Christian background of 19th century England in reading Jane Eyre, many repressed meanings of the novel will surface.To read Jane Eyre from the Christian perspective is, first of all, to focus on the spiritual growth of Jane and Rochester. Both Jane and Rochester go through hardships and come to mature spiritually. The most important part of the spiritual maturity is to learn to put God's love before their ‘passionate' human love. This humility before God is the crucial part of the Christian wisdom. And the other indispensable learning for both of them is to admit the invisible hand of God guiding their lives. In this respect Jane Eyre belongs to the genre of governess novel which was popular in 19th century England and stressed the governing hand of God in human lives. The marriage of Jane and Rochester is one of the best examples of the ‘companionate marriages' in the history of the English novel. However, the happy and equal companionate union is possible only after the achievement of their spiritual equality, not just the economic, social or sexual equality.

참고문헌 (Reference)

1 "Victorian People and Ideas" Norton 1973

2 "Religious Discovery in Jane Eyre" 478-88, 1971

3 "Jane Eyre as a Christian Bildungsroman"

4 "Jane Eyre as a Christian Bildungsroman"

5 "Approaches to Teaching Bront's Jane Eyre" 62-68, 1993

6 "Approaches to Teaching Bront's Jane Eyre" 69-75, 1993

7 "A Preface to the Bronts" 1989